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Measuring the effects of prenatal care on child birth weight in Cameroon
1Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Yaoundé II, PO. BOX 1365, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Insights
Adequate and high-quality prenatal care significantly boosts infant birth weight in Cameroon. This research highlights the importance of these services for improving neonatal health outcomes despite existing challenges.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Maternal and Child Health
- Econometrics
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is a global public health concern with lasting health implications.
- Determinants of LBW are under-researched in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with poor child health indicators.
- Cameroon faces challenges in prenatal care quality and accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prenatal care on child birth weight in Cameroon.
- To analyze the effects of both the adequacy and quality of prenatal care.
- To address endogeneity and sample selection bias in the analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the fifth Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Cameroon.
- Employed a system of simultaneous equations to model birth weight determinants.
- Applied the instrumental variable two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) approach for robust estimation.
Main Results:
- Adequate prenatal care was associated with an increase of 882.84 g in child birth weight.
- A one-unit increase in the quality of prenatal care correlated with a 147.79 g improvement in birth weight.
- Prenatal care, despite shortcomings, is a critical factor for neonatal health in Cameroon.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal care significantly enhances birth weight in the Cameroonian context.
- Both the adequacy and quality of care are crucial for improving neonatal outcomes.
- Strengthening prenatal care services is vital for public health in Cameroon.
Abstract:
Low birth weight continues to be a significant public health problem worldwide with a range of short- and long-term consequences. However, the analysis of its determinants remains a less addressed issue in sub-Saharan African countries despite the poor child health indicators observed there. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of prenatal care on child birth weight in Cameroon, using data from the fifth Demographic and Health Survey. For this purpose, we use a system of simultaneous equations that takes into account potential endogeneity and sample selection bias. Two measures of prenatal care are used in this study, namely, adequacy and quality. Estimation of the birth weight production function using the instrumental variable two-stage least square approach reveals that adequate prenatal care increases the child's birth weight by 882.84 g. Also an increase in the quality of prenatal care by one unit improves the child's birth weight by 147.79 g. Thus, despite the fact that prenatal care in Cameroon suffers from some shortcomings as regards to the standards recommended by the World Health Organization, it remains a key factor for the improvement of neonatal health outcomes in this country.
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